Dramatic rescue sees firefighters save 11 after smoke fills Leith Walk tenement

Nine treated at the scene and two taken to hospital
Passers-by watched as firefighters rescued the residentsPassers-by watched as firefighters rescued the residents
Passers-by watched as firefighters rescued the residents

HERO firefighters rescued 11 residents from their Leith Walk block of flats overnight after smoke filled their stairwell.

Photos emerged of the dramatic rescue shortly after 1am this morning as residents were led to safety down a ladder from the four-storey tenement near a row of shops.

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All 11 rescued were given oxygen at the scene before two were taken to hospital for further treatment.

More than 30 firefighters were scrambled and the cause of the fire is being investigated. The condition of those in hospital is not yet known.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were alerted at 1.10am on Sunday, February 2, to reports of a fire affected a block of residential flats in Edinburgh.

“Operations control mobilised a total of nine appliances to Leith Walk and firefighters safely removed 11 people from the building by ladder due to the presence of heavy smoke in a common stair.

“The adult casualties were found to have suffered the effects of smoke inhalation with seven women and two men treated at the scene and two remaining men transferred to hospital.”